BillsVet

Tell that to Tony Sparano and Mike Smith. While you're at it, ask John Harbaugh as well. The NFL is a league built on parity where most teams have roughly the same talent level, hence all the 7-9, 8-8, and 9-7 clubs. When you've got a guy who makes good decisions, can manage the clock, and puts players into positions to succeed, you'll win. Most of the franchises do not have elite coaches. Surprisingly, it's the teams that do which make the playoffs year in and year out. I'm referring to Belichick, whoever Pittsburgh has/had, Jeff Fisher, Andy Reid, and perhaps Tom Coughlin. And there are plenty of up and coming coaches. You cannot tell me with a straight face that an average to above average coach would have gone 2-8 in the final ten games last season.

Wait until the league has a player strike/lockout after the 2011 season when De Smith and the owners can't agree on a new CBA. Ultimately it's the fan who's left out in the cold who pays the PSL's, higher ticket prices. The league just assumes it'll never end, but situations like Crabtree make it hard for the blue collar fan to identify. It's a free country at the end of the day (well, as of this writing) and Maybin is allowed to get all he can. But he's playing a dangerous game and not endearing himself to the fans. That leaves a lot of work to do when he eventually signs.

George Young was the architect of those fine Giants teams of those two SB teams. I would say he and Polian were at the top of NFL execs for the time period. The difference was in who they hired to coach those teams, and who those coaches hired as coordinators. The Parcells/Belichick pairing was truly one of the finest in NFL history. But the Bills had more talent, as evidenced by recent HOF ceremonies. In that game, I agree NYG had the better coaching. This is precisely why it blows my mind that RW does not see the worth in finding a quality HC. Perhaps it's because that money does not count against the cap or he doesn't trust his people to find a good one. Then again, the people in the front office are those he's put there.

I go to games with a friend of mine who's had season tickets since 96. After the Dallas MNF game (and he's not normally as upset as I am) he said simply, "I'm tired of losing." It's not just the losses, it's the way they lose. MNF vs CLE and DAL. Sunday night to NE 56-10 in 07. The season opener vs Denver in 07. DJ tears the heart out of you. And thanks for the SB XXV note. Thought I'd heard that.

Wasn't it Belichick who told his defense that Thurman Thomas needed to run for 100+ yards for them to win? If I'm not mistaken, that was mentioned on the Super Bowl program NFL Network runs.

Many fans who follow the Bills fail to watch what happens across the rest of the league, save for major transactions like Favre and Vick. They therefore do not realize that most teams do not miss the playoffs 9 seasons running and aren't a clinch in their 10th try. If anyone doubts that DJ stinks, ask yourself how many times the Bills have won games against teams they weren't favored to beat. And then ask how many times they've lost to teams they should have beat. Buffalo's HC has been bested by HOF coaches, mediocre coaches, and rookie coaches. He rarely beats better teams, and finds ways to lose to bad teams. I am most concerned that DJ's close to the vest try to win on the last possession mindset is setting into the mind of the QB. Trent gets ripped for being a checkdown QB, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's what the coaches are feeding a young guy starting his 2nd full season. I wouldn't say that if DJ had such a fine record with his other QB's.

If Maybin is that desperate to get on the field, he should have the audacity to tell his agent to get something done. If it's anywhere near what the 12th pick received of course. Most irritating here is that 29 first rounders, save for true malcontents Andre Smith and Michael Crabtree, have signed their rookie deal. I won't read too much into what Posluszny said, but they do need him on the field. I'd love to blame the team, but they've been drafting in the 8th-12th spot for years now. They've worked out deals with Whitner, Lynch, and McKelvin. Why is Maybin any different?

Most people notice the the players and to a lesser degree the coaching staff. But what some fans don't see is that front offices make all the difference in the world. Those NYG teams had an advantage that Buffalo do not have: solid and experienced front office types who find talent. I'm referring to Ernie Accorsi, who with Jerry Reese built those NYG teams. A team cannot be built overnight, but Accorsi and Reese have built a deep team, particularly on the DL and OL. Watching the NYG-CAR game last night, it's amazing to see the talent they've collected in the past few seasons. They have multiple All-Pro types like Umenyiora, Tuck, Pierce, Snee, and Diehl. The Bills don't have that, and it's one reason that they struggle each year to keep the franchise in the hunt for the playoffs. For this team to improve, it'll take an overhaul of the front office, and I don't see it happening. We need a Reese/Accorsi type who knows the league and where to find talent.

Couldn't help but notice Jordan Gross give up a sack to Osi Umenyiora tonight 1 on 1. It's no coincidence that good teams have solid OL and DL, which CAR, NYG, and TEN among others have. When teams go for the skill positions, they neglect the foundation of a pro football team. Parcells and Co. did select a CB in the first this year, but this came after using three top picks in 08 on linemen. You don't start rebuilding a franchise by taking WR, RB, LB, or DB. Those positions come later. I think Walker and Butler will need all the help they can get. Butler's tendency to be injured is also a concern, as I'm not keen on seeing Kirk Chambers at length.

I think the Bills front office would have been severely criticized had they selected an OT in round 1. You cannot replace departed free agents and in this case traded players with your first round pick every year and get ahead. I like the Maybin pick too, as it represents the team looking long term and not just for DJ's make or break season. No one should expect even when AM appears that he'll collect 10+ sacks, but hopefully in the future. At the same time, I'm concerned about the depth at OT on this team. And while I can't comment on Oher, I won't fault the front office for not selecting him. He has some motivation issues and isn't as consistent as some wanted. Besides, the pass rush needed an infusion of talent, and no one on the team could flash the physical skills Maybin offers. Whether he takes that ability and translates that onto the field is another matter. I figured a deal would be complete by now.

We've seen stranger things happen before. Levy originally was going to retain Mularkey after a 5-11 season and there wasn't much gruff from the inner-circle then. RW is 91, and while he looks good for his age, the franchise depends on him. They're no about to make long term commitments to a new HC and GM. Still, I can't forget hearing that DJ was retained and the next moment Mike Shanahan was fired.

A couple of fans on a message board happen to mention they think Peters might not be good? The source wasn't in any way representative of the fan base. I could just as easily say Owens is injury prone and someone could cite it as Bills fans think this is really the case. Everytime a fan on this board tries to make a football point that could be controversial, immediately someone charges them with never having played or coached in the NFL and therefore unqualified. Shudder the thought if I challenged the source. I'll say this, and it is a football point: Left Tackle's aren't normally brawler types like RT's should be. Their primary job is to pass block and keep the QB clean on passing downs. Peters wasn't great last night, but if we're not supposed to draw conclusions from one preseason game, why in the heck can someone cite an Eagles message board after the first game and say Eagles fans are saying he's not good.

Not to blow this out of proportion, but there were issues last season getting the play in. I can recall multiple times in which Buffalo needed to use a TO to avoid a delay of game penalty. I agree with the idea of getting the OL on the same page. The best offenses which ran the no-huddle were veteran laden teams, particularly at QB and on the OL. Those two items concern me if this will be the base offense.

What part of the "nine years without playoffs" argument don't you understand. Sure there's 3 games after this, but the closer the end of preseason, the more starters rest. It's not the other way around. It's not because Brady and other teams starters are playing. It's because the entire offense is dependent on five new starters at their positions playing well. The QB and the other skill players have a lot of work to do on the no-huddle as well. I really don't understand who can defend DJ anymore. What's he done to earn anyone's trust as a solid football coach?

A message board?

I'll still go despite Owens' injury preventhing him from playing. Nevertheless, it'll be interesting to see how the OL, and Trent play. If the starters go any less than 3 series, I guess DJ figures it won't take game action for the OL to mesh. On defense, the pass rush needs to step it up.

How about hero. The point is, don't put out opinion as being fact. If you don't like Peters, fine. For the record, someone's amateur blog doesn't count as a link either.

You got a link there Hondo?

I'm sure the front office wanted to find a backup QB who wouldn't create a QB controversy if, and it's a huge if, Edwards stuggled. It sounds like they did too well on this front.

It was an excellent move to sign TO to a 1 yr deal in March. I like Trent Edwards. Fred Jackson was an excellent UDFA signing in the 06-07 offseason. I'm willing to give Hangartner time. I liked the Maybin, Wood, and Nelson picks in the draft, to the extent of actually cheering them in April. I wear Posluszny's jersey to home games and he's probably my favorite Bill. However, when you look at all other UFA acquisitions since 2006, they've stunk plain and simple. Levy's hiring was PR motivated to get fans excited in the wake of TD's reign of error. I don't even think I need to go into DJ's hiring either. Brandon isn't qualified to act as a GM, nor does he have the power to do so. At the end of the day, the NFL is built to allow each team some success over a 10 year time period. The Bills have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory far too often, culminating in very little success. Yet the same people are essentially running the team in that time frame. That's why I don't go along with other's optimism.

When it comes to quality organizations, Philadelphia is right up there because they've sustained a high level of success since Reid took over in 99. To me, it seems the same teams, particularly in the AFC, are in the playoffs. Frankly, I give clubs like Philly the benefit of the doubt when they make a move, be it trade, draft, or UFA. It's why being critical of the Bills shouldn't be an issue until they prove something on the field. The Peters trade needs to play out, but anyone who thinks trading quality LT's is normal needs to look around a bit. Reid and the Eagles haven't hit on many skill players, but their OL and DL picks have been solid for the most part. And while Reid hasn't had success in a league championship games, they've gotten that far 5 times since 2000. Only NE can make that claim. And for the record, PHI competes in a tough division themselves.

Maybin's agent isn't so much negotiating for his client, but for future clients. If he agrees to a deal without Crabtree, the agent will suffer for not having parameters set. Joel Segal, Lavar Arrington, even Maybin can say what they want. There's no requirement anywhere that says a player cannot sign without the picks around him being signed.

The great mystery with Modrak is how much did people pay attention to him from 01-08. I suspect he was given more control over the draft selections this year, but certainly during TD and the first two years of DJ (I'm not equating the two regimes) he didn't have as much say in who was drafted. I'm not referring to not selecting Cutler, I can understand why that decision was made. But he allegedly was a McCargo proponent, though other than that I'm not sure. I still think the draft can be more than a crap-shoot. How many picks does Polian, Jerry Reese, Kevin Colbert, Belichick, AJ Smith, Ozzie Newsome, and a few others get wrong. Their percentage of hits isn't 100%, but it's better than many teams. Talent evaluators are not all created equal.

Couldn't agree more here. I don't understand why select fans believe DJ will change his coaching ways or improve in this, the ninth season as a HC. He's made it this far in the NFL, why change now? We all know winning the HOF Game is meaningless when opening day rolls around. Sunday night Jeff Fisher displayed the audacity and conviction that the Bills HC has never exemplified I'm not talking about yelling or screaming on the sidelines, but a tactical superiority to the guy facing him. I have never felt that DJ outcoaches anyone and even young guys like Sparano made him look ill-equipped to lead a NFL team last season. It's little wonder his record against teams which finish above .500 is so putrid. BTW, glad you enjoyed your time in Canton. It did truly become a "home game" from what I saw.

How much has changed from 08 to 09? Same HC, same front office, and most of the same players are present for duty. I don't bank on rookies to improve a team, and the UFA class aside from Owens, is pedestrian. The main issues last year were on the OL and DL. I love the TO acquisition, but he depends on an OL to protect a QB. The DL will struggle to rush the passer, and that's not because of the first preseason game. It's the talent level. Bob Sanders isn't miraculously going to make Chris Kelsay a better pass rusher. And he's not going to help Aaron Schobel come back from a serious foot injury. Aaron Maybin is a complete question mark as well. Who precisely is going to improve the pass rush? DJ is simply not going to improve his in-game management, and neither Turk nor Perry will have the light come on before opening day. I just wish it didn't have to be so obvious before people realized what's going on.